Engineer the Use of your PowerPoint Slides More ... - ICEWeb

Engineer the Use of your PowerPoint Slides More Powerfully
Dear Colleagues,
From Mackays Musings - Steve Mackay – IDC Technologies
I think you will agree that most of us have used PowerPoint slides at some
stage in our careers. However, I often cringe when I see how slides are used in
presentations – boring, rambling and not particularly useful – with an endless
list of them thrust at a disinterested and confused audience.
It is certainly impossible to deliver a good technical presentation without some
use of PowerPoint slides – especially using graphics and diagrams in the
engineering field - a great way to keep attention and explain complexity. After
all, most engineering professionals appreciate a diagrammatic representation
as opposed to boring text.
The expression: Death by PowerPoint is certainly a very real concern.
Avoid Baffling your Audience
However, many presenters go off at a tangent and think their PowerPoint
presentations are absolutely brilliant. Riddled with bulleted text which is baffling
to the audience. But serve as a crutch to the presenter to remember what to
say. And the PowerPoint slides are treated as the actual stand alone
presentation which can be referred to later by those who couldn’t attend the
session.
Bullet lists are Useless
Bullet lists are absolutely useless. Conveying a lot of information in a few
dysfunctional bits of text. Often riddled with silly little bits of clip art which have
no other meaning apart from disinterested decoration.
And as you know – if you send the slides (with bits of disjointed text) to
someone who couldn’t attend your presentation but who wants to follow your
presentation – you are absolutely wasting your time. You are the presentation.
Not some set of disjointed PowerPoint slides.
Graphics are the Key
Graphics on slides are a very powerful way of connecting with the audience. A
suggestion from a guru on the subject (Edward Tufte) who remarks:
“Graphical excellence is that which gives to the viewer the greatest number of
ideas in the shortest time with the least ink in the smallest space.”
Written Notes Add Enormous Value to your Presentation
A solution is to actually put together written notes in the notes section of the
PowerPoint slide. You probably recoil at the thought of putting everything into
notes. But a set of PowerPoint’s on their own are absolutely useless for later
review. Unless the notes are attached.

A Few Suggestions
A few suggestions to really liven up your next PowerPoint presentation:
Use well thought out graphics rather than demented disjointed bits of text
Use headings and text where absolutely required (but not as an aide memoire
for yourself) – focus on the audience’s needs
Avoid meaningless clip art, garish colours and animation unless they add
value
Keep your presentation simple and understandable
Try and give comprehensive supporting notes to your presentation for the
audience to review later
Prepare and practise your presentation thoroughly and understand your
audience’s needs – YOU are the presentation (your slides are purely an
accessory)
Thanks to the IEEE and Susan de la Vergne for some sobering thoughts about
the uselessness of most powerpoints presentations.
Probably especially relevant to presentations:
In your thirst for knowledge, be sure not to drown in all the information.
(Anthony J. D'Angelo)